FACTS which contradict what is taught in the universities and which even run counter to the assumptions made by critics of misandry.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Hieronyma Spara's Husband-Killing Syndicate in Italy- 17th Century

Ringleaders:

Toffana (or, Toffania, Tofana) (Naples, Palermo)

Hiernonyma Spara (Naples, Rome)

Gratiosa (Rome)

***

FULL TEXT (Article 1 of 2): The most remarkable professional poisoner of the
seventeenth century was a woman, by name Tofana, a native of Palermo. This
monster, while still a young girl, by some means or other became possessed of a
recipe for a mixture of which from four to eight drops were fatal. This liquid,
which has become known under the name of “Tofana Water,” has been described as
clear, tasteless, colourless, and odourless. It was of such a nature that it
battled the cleverest medical men of the time, and the acutest analysts were
utterly unable to testify to its presence in the organs of one of its victims,
after the most searching post-mortem examination.

In the Italy of the period in question women were but little
better than the slaves of their male relatives; they were married or divorced
in the most reckless way to promote political or social alliances, and
generally discovered their places to be occupied by some other fair ones, who,
though more favoured, were perhaps neither more nor less frail than themselves.
[Note: This view of sexist oppression in Renaissance Italy has been challenged by scholars who point out the opposite
types of behavior in this period in Italy as described by Venetian writer
Lucrezia Marinella (c.1571-1653) who describes in The
Nobility and Excellence of Women and the Defects and Vices of Men, sex
roles in Europe as based on males acting as “servants,” “subjects,” “beasts of
burden,” or “butlers” toward women who are universally viewed as men’s
superiors. – Gynocentrism.com]

It was to such wretched women that the infamous
Tofana sold her secret, and with society in such a state, there were
only too many fair ones who thought they could be benefited by the
removal of some hard or faithless lord or some more favoured rival.

The
first dose, administered in wine or tea or some other liquid by the
flattering traitress, produced but a scarcely noticeable effect; the
husband became a little out of sorts, felt weak and languid, so little
indisposed that he would scarcely call in a medical man; but, if he did,
it was only to be told it was a mere nothing, which a draught or two
would put to rights. After the second dose of poison, this weakness and
languor became more pronounced, and the doctor would begin to think
that, after all, the patient required to be put on a course of diet and
rest. The beautiful Medea who expressed so much anxiety for her
husband’s indisposition would scarcely be an object of suspicion, and
perhaps would prepare her husband’s food, as prescribed by the doctor,
with her own fair hands. In this way the third drop would be
administered, and would prostrate even the most vigorous man. The doctor
would be completely puzzled to see that the apparently simple ailment
did not surrender to his drugs, and while he would be still in the dark
as to its nature, other doses would be given, until at length death
would claim the victim for its own.

Then,
when too late, the dreadful word “ poison” would be uttered, upon
which, of course, to save her fair fame, the wife would demand a
post-mortem examination. Result, nothing — except that the woman was
able to pose as a slandered innocent, and then it would be remembered
that her husband died without either pain, inflammation, fever, or
spasms. If, after this, the woman within a year or two formed a now
connection, nobody could blame her; for, everything considered, it would
be a sore trial for her to continue to bear the name of a man whose
relatives had accused her of poisoning him.

While
still at Palermo, Tofana became acquainted with an old sorceress,
Hyeronyma Spara, to whom she imparted her secret. The two worked
together until the number of deaths among young married men began to
attract attention, whereupon Tofano started for Naples, while Spara
betook herself to the Eternal City. At Rome Spara began operations on an
extended scale. She formed a band of poisoners, the principal of whom
was a woman named Gratiosa, for, be it remembered, Spara was well up in
years.

Spara’s
method of working seems to have been this: — She gave herself out as a
sorceress and fortune-teller, and in this capacity wormed the secrets
out of the hearts of the silly women who consulted her. She would then
cleverly insinuate that in three or four days the cruel husband or the
faithless man, as the case might be, could be removed with, the most
absolute safety. A bargain was struck ; mutual promises of the most
profound secrecy were exchanged; and within the week there was a new
widow in Rome.

If the discontented wife were a member
of the middle classes, Spara artfully contrived that the dangerous
portion of the negotiations should be carried on by some of the other
members of the gang; for she judged that the women of the “masses” would
be much more likely to betray her than the women of the “classes.”

Of
course the number of deaths among the newly-married men soon attracted
the attention of the authorities in Rome, as it had done in Palermo;
but, though the police may have had their suspicions, it was some time
before they were able to bring the crimes home to the proper quarters;
even after they knew that the sorceress Spara was implicated, it was
long before they could obtain proof positive. At length, however, they
found a lady who was willing to act in concert with them; and so well
did this amateur detective carry out her role, that at last the police
knew all the principal members of this infamous gang?

The
band was taken and put to the torture, according to the custom of the
time. All confessed, except Spara, who seems to have had so little
knowledge of human nature as to have thought some of the frail ladies
whom she had assisted would step forward to protect her from justice.
She withstood the torture several times, but, as no relief came, at
length cried out, in despair, “Where are the Roman princes, nobles, and
knights who have made use of my art? Where are the ladies who have
promised me their favour?” But they came not; whereupon the miserable
wretch denounced them all and confessed her crimes.

Pope
Alexander VII. ordered Spara, Gratiosa, and three others to be executed
at once; within the month he sent several others of them to their last
account, and the remainder he banished for ever. It was in 1558 that
this band of secret murderers was thus broken up and destroyed.

Meanwhile,
the prime criminal was still at large, exercising her terrible vocation
not only at Naples, which was her headquarters, but in various parts of
Italy. For many years she evaded the police and the Custom-house
officers with her bottles of poison in her luggage, and death after
death, in the most mysterious way, was reported. She continued her
atrocious business until 1709, when her disguise was penetrated. She was
publicly strangled. Previous to her death she confessed to having
supplied the poison for over 700 murders!

EXCERPT (Article 2 of 2): This was not the only instance of
women using poison for murder in seventeenth-century Italy. During the 1650s
there was a noted increase in the number of young, rich widows in the larger
cities in Europe. Although some of them even confessed to their priests that
they had murdered their husbands by poisoning them, the priests were bound by
the seal of the confessional. However, the sheer number of these confessions
began to alarm them. In 1659 they appealed to Pope Alexander VII for guidance.
The pope took the matter very seriously and instigated an independent
investigation. What his spies discovered surprised and shocked them. A group of
young wives, some from among Rome’s first families, were meeting regulkarly at
the house of Hieronyma Spara, a well-known witch and fortune-teller. She was
training these women in the art of poisoning. Papal police arrested La Spara
and she and several other women were hanged. A further thirty young wives were
whipped through the streets.

1 comment:

Hmm..."In the Italy of the period in question women were but little better than the slaves of their male relatives; they were married or divorced in the most reckless way to promote political or social alliances, and generally discovered their places to be occupied by some other fair ones, who, though more favoured, were perhaps neither more nor less frail than themselves."

if that is so, then how do we account for this?

*Feminism four hundred years ago — Oppression of Women?*

"It is an amazing thing to see in our city the wife of a shoemaker, or a butcher, or a porter dressed in silk with chains of gold at the throat, with pearls and rings of good value....and then in contrast to see her husband cutting the meat, all smeared with cow's blood, poorly dressed.... but whosoever considers this carefully will find it reasonable, because it is necessary that the lady, even if low born and humble, be draped with such clothes for her natural excellence and dignity, and the man [be] less adorned as if a slave, or a little ass, born to her service." — Lucrezia Marinella, Venice, Italy, 1600, in "The Nobility and Excellence of Women Together With the Defects and Deficiencies of Men" (quoted in "If Men Have All the Power How Come Women Make the Rules", p. 22, by Jack Kammer, http://www.RulyMob.com )